Size control of precipitated particles of amino acids using a bubble column evaporator.

The precipitation of five amino acids: DL-alanine, L-arginine, L-leucine, DL-methionine and L-tyrosine was studied at their solubility limits and isoelectric point by using a bubble column evaporator (BCE). The precipitation of amino acids via a bubble column evaporator and a standard stirring method were compared via turbidity measurements. Particle size, zeta potential and polydispersity index (PDI) were also measured using a Malvern Zeta-sizer and the particle morphology was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Low-Level Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water.

The reported ability of cysteine and cystine to bind typical arsenic oxy-ions in water is used as a basis for a study of the potential for using a surfactant with a cysteine head-group for selective arsenic binding and removal in an ion flotation process. Several different head-group attachment methods are studied with cysteine and cystine and with single- and double-chain surfactants. A comparison of the properties of these surfactants with some other surface-active compounds, with groups like those on cysteine, suggest that few compounds have suitable characteristics for the efficient removal of low levels of arsenic from drinking water.

Improved virus inactivation using a hot bubble column evaporator (HBCE).

An improved hot bubble column evaporator (HBCE) was used to study virus inactivation rates using hot bubble-virus interactions in two different conditions: (1) using the bubble coalescence inhibition phenomenon of monovalent electrolytes and (2) with reducing the electrostatic repulsive forces between virus and bubble, by the addition of divalent electrolytes. It is shown that the continuous flow of (dry) air, even at 150-250 °C, only heats the aqueous solution in the bubble column to about 45°-55 °C and it was also established that viruses are not significantly affected by even long term exposure to this solution temperature, as confirmed separately from water bath experiments. Hence, the effects observed appeared to be caused entirely by collisions between the hot air bubbles and the virus organisms.

The effects of low levels of trivalent ions on a standard strain of Escherichia coli (ATCC 11775) in aqueous solutions.

Considering the ever-growing usage of trivalent salts in water treatment, for example, lanthanum salts in rare earth, AlCl and FeCl , the effects of different trivalent cations on the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC 11775 strain have been studied in aqueous solutions. From colony incubation studies, the colony-forming unit (CFU) densities were found to decrease significantly in the presence of even low levels (10  mol/L) of lanthanum chloride.

Low temperature MS2 (ATCC15597-B1) virus inactivation using a hot bubble column evaporator (HBCE).

In the treatment of household wastewater viruses are hard to eliminate. A new technique is described which tackles this major problem. The MS2 (ATCC15597-B1) virus was used as a surrogate to estimate the inactivation rates for enteric viruses by a hot (150°C) air bubble column evaporator (HBCE) system Its surface charging properties obtained by dynamic light scattering, have been studied in a range of aqueous salt solutions and secondary treated synthetic sewage water.

A study of the surface charging properties of a standard strain of Escherichia coli (ATCC 11775) in aqueous solutions.

In this study, the Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain ATCC 11775 was studied to determine its surface charging properties in a range of different aqueous salt solutions, with the aim of evaluating its potential as a monitor organism for water treatment. Zeta potential measurements were carried out in various solutions containing: NaCl, CaCl2, MgSO4, ZnSO4 and C14TAB, at different pH values and concentrations.

Study of a Novel Method for the Thermolysis of Solutes in Aqueous Solution Using a Low Temperature Bubble Column Evaporator.

An enhanced thermal decomposition of chemical compounds in aqueous solution has been achieved at reduced solution temperatures. The technique exploits hitherto unrecognized properties of a bubble column evaporator (BCE). It offers better heat transfer efficiency than conventional heat transfer equipment.

Application of a bubble column for evaporative cooling and a simple procedure for determining the latent heat of vaporization of aqueous salt solutions.

In this work we have studied the evaporative cooling effect produced in a continuous flow air bubble column, containing water and salt solutions. We have established that, at equilibrium, a significant reduction in temperature is produced in an insulated, continuous flow, bubble column. For example, with a continuous flow of inlet air at 22 degrees C, a water bubble column cools to about 8 degrees C, at steady state equilibrium.

A study of oil droplet coalescence.

Oil droplets dispersed in water can be readily studied when they are coated with surfactants, which lower their interfacial tension and enhance their stability. Pure oil droplets are more difficult to study because of their high interfacial tension, which facilitates coalescence and the adsorption of contaminants. In this study, we have characterised the surface charging properties of a water insoluble oil, bromododecane, which has a density close to water.

De-gassed water is a better cleaning agent.

It is demonstrated that de-gassed water is more effective at dispersing hydrophobic "dirt", such as liquid hydrocarbons or oils. This effect appears to be due to the reduction of natural cavitation, which would otherwise oppose the dispersion of hydrophobic liquid droplets into water. De-gassing of the oil enhances this effect still further, and this has led to a proposal for a novel cleaning process, based on using a combination of a de-gassed (hydrophobic) solvent followed by rinsing in de-gassed water.

The dispersion of natural oils in de-gassed water.

Recent studies have demonstrated that pure hydrocarbon oils can be dispersed in water as fine droplets without the use of additives. The high interfacial tension between hydrocarbons and water is expected to cause cavitation between oil droplets during separation. This cavitation is aided by dissolved atmospheric gases present in both the oil and water.

A membrane method for degassing nonaqueous liquids.

Degassing of nonaqueous solvents is useful for their applications in chemical synthesis and in maintaining purity (against oxidative degradation) during long term storage. In addition, degassed solvents have been found to be of value in the production of oil and water emulsions. Currently, there are three main methods for degassing solvents.

Further studies on the effect of degassing on the dispersion and stability of surfactant-free emulsions.

Recently reported results indicate that the formation of surfactant-free, oil-in-water emulsions can be significantly enhanced by the almost complete removal of dissolved gases and that the reintroduction of dissolved gases does not immediately destabilize the already-formed emulsions. These initial experiments have been repeated and extended to include a wider range of organic liquids and the application of light scattering to determine droplet size and distribution. The earlier observations have been confirmed.

Interaction between Cryptosporidium oocysts and water treatment coagulants.

The electrokinetic properties of gamma-irradiated Cryptosporidium oocysts in the presence of coagulants (ferric chloride and alum) and coagulant aids (DADMAC based cationic polyelectrolytes) have been studied. The zeta potential of the oocysts was unaffected by the addition of ferric chloride at all pH values (3-10) studied. Addition of alum resulted in reversal of the oocysts charge, which suggests that the initial stage in the coagulation process leading to floc formation proceeds via the adsorption of hydrolysed aluminium species.

The Interaction Forces between Silica and Plasma-Treated Polypropylene Surfaces in Aqueous Solutions.

The interaction forces between silica and plasma-treated polypropylene surfaces in aqueous NaCl solutions have been measured using a scanning force microscope. The measured interaction forces are well described by DLVO theory at large and moderate separation distances. However, at short range (<5 nm) an additional repulsive force is measured, presumably due to solvation of the surfaces.

Amphiphilic components of the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite: surface properties and membrane formation.

We have investigated physicochemical properties of amphiphilic compounds in carbonaceous meteorites. The primary aim was to determine whether such materials represent plausible sources of lipid-like compounds that could have been involved as membrane components in primitive cells. Samples of the Murchison CM2 chondrite were extracted with chloroform-methanol, and the chloroform-soluble material was separated by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography.

Attractive forces between uncharged hydrophobic surfaces: direct measurements in aqueous solution.

Long, double-chained alkylammonium acetate surfactants are soluble in water and, under suitable conditions, adsorb onto sheets of muscovite mica, forming an electrically neutral, hydrophobic surface. Attractive forces measured between such surfaces are 10 to 100 times stronger than expected from van der Waals theory over distances D up to about 10 nanometers. The forces decay exponentially [with a force proportional to exp(-D/1.